Manicure hand-rest

ABSTRACT

A manicure hand-rest which has an upper surface ( 1 ) that is contoured in relief with a rear apron ( 4 ) for support of either hand and with seven mutually-splayed recesses ( 6 ) extending on a forward region ( 5 ) from the apron ( 4 ) to a contoured peripheral edge ( 7 ) of the hand-rest for receiving the fingers and thumb of the respective hand. Of the seven recesses ( 6 ), three ( 63 - 65 ) are used by the fore, middle and third fingers of both hands in reverse orders from one another, whereas the thumb and small finger of each hand use respective pairs ( 61, 66; 62, 67 ) of the recesses. The ends of the recesses ( 6 ) may be bevelled over into the edge ( 7 ) to facilitate bending down of the fingertips.

This application is a National Stage completion of PCT/GB2013/000245 filed May 29, 2013, which claims priority from British patent application serial no. 1209542.8 filed May 29, 2012.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to hand-rests for use during manicure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Manicure is concerned especially, though not exclusively, with the treatment and painting of fingernails and includes the application of false nails and nail wraps to the fingers. In all such procedures, whether performed by a manicurist, or by an individual on their own hands, it is desirable for the fingers to be held steady with the fingernails well presented to enable the procedure to be carried out accurately and efficiently. It is an object of the present invention to provide a form of hand-rest that enables this to be achieved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENITON

According to the present invention there is provided a hand-rest for use during manicure, wherein the hand-rest has an upper surface that is contoured in relief with a rear apron for support of the palm of the hand and with mutually-splayed recesses which each extend from the apron to a forward peripheral edge of the hand-rest and which are for individually receiving for support respective ones of the digits (fingers and thumb) of the hand when the digits are extended from the apron to the forward peripheral edge, and wherein there are more than five but fewer than nine such recesses for receiving individually the five digits of the right-hand or, selectively, the left-hand, with some of the recesses receiving individual digits of both hands.

The hand-rest of the invention, which has the significant advantage that it can be used by either hand selectively, may have seven recesses extending from the apron to the forward peripheral edge with a set of five recesses used for support of the digits of one hand and a different set of five used for the support of the digits of the other hand.

The ends of the recesses at the forward peripheral edge may be bevelled to enable the hand to be positioned on the hand-rest with the tips of some or all of the fingers overhanging or bent down over that edge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A manicure hand-rest in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the hand-rest of the present invention; and

FIGS. 2 and 3 are respectively end and side views of the hand-rest of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The hand-rest of the present example is an aid for use in the manicure of a person's two hands, one at a time. It may be utilised by an individual for manicure of their own hands, or by a manicurist for manicure of the hands of another person. Different sizes of the hand-rest may be provided to cater for variation in hand-size. The hand-rest illustrated in the drawings in this example is for ‘medium’ hands for which the length of the middle finger is within the range 65-76 millimetre from base to tip; hand-rests for smaller and larger hands, for example having middle-finger lengths of respectively 50-65 millimetre and 76-90 millimetre, may be provided similarly.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the hand-rest is of unitary form having, in this example, an overall length and width of 170 millimetre and 155 millimetre respectively, with an upper surface 1 that is configured in relief to provide a comfortable support for either hand of a person receiving manicure treatment. During manicure, the flat base 2 of the hand-rest is located on a firm, generally-horizontal support, and the person's hand, left or right, is placed on the hand-rest to extend longitudinally of it with the heel of the hand adjacent to, or just overhanging, the rear edge 3 of an apron 4 of the rest.

From the edge 3, the apron 4 rises through a gentle-upward curve to round out in a recessed forward region 5 of the hand-rest, and the extended hand is slightly cupped over the apron 4 with the fingers and thumb of either hand, entering respective ones of seven mutually-splayed recesses 6 of the region 5. The seven recesses 6, which are identified in the drawings individually as 61-67, lead smoothly from the apron 4 towards a contoured, peripheral edge 7 of the forward region 5.

The edge 7 is contoured according to the lengths and relative dispositions of the digits of the two hands, and accordingly to the lengths and relative dispositions of the recesses 6 receiving those digits, in order to locate the tips of the fingers and thumb of each hand in their respective recesses 6, close to the edge 7 yet still supported comfortably within those recesses 6 for appropriate treatment. By pushing the hand slightly forward on the apron 4 the digits can be shifted along the recesses 6 to cause the tips of the fingers and thumb to overhang the edge 7. The fingers can continue in the overhang or be bent down over the edge 7 for access in alternative or additional treatment. The ends of the recesses 6 may be bevelled over into the edge 7 to facilitate bending down of the fingertips.

The particular ones of the recesses 6 used and the disposition of the fingers and thumb in them depends on which hand, right or left, is placed on the hand-rest. The digits of the right-hand are received in the five recesses 61 and 63-66, whereas those of the left-hand are received in the five recesses 62-65 and 67 with the dispositions indicated in the following Tables I and II for the right and left hands respectively.

It is to be noted from Tables I and II that recesses 61 and 66 are occupied only by the thumb and small finger respectively of the right-hand with the recesses 62 and 67 unused, whereas recesses 67 and 62 are occupied only by the thumb and small finger of the left hand with the recesses 61 and 66 unused. Accordingly recesses 63-65 are used by both hands and recess 64 by the middle finger in each case.

TABLE I Right hand Digit Recess Thumb 61 Fore Finger 63 Middle Finger 64 Third Finger 65 Small Finger 66

TABLE II Left Hand Digit Recess Thumb 67 Fore Finger 65 Middle Finger 64 Third Finger 63 Small Finger 62

The hand-rest of the invention provides a simple and economic aid to manicure in that it affords a comfortable way for retention of the hand with digits splayed apart conveniently and positively located for support and ease of individual manicure treatment.

Construction of the hand-rest may be in the solid (for example, of a foamed or other plastics material) as a casting or in machined form, or may be thermoformed in a plastics material. It is desirable that the surface 1 presents a smooth finish that can be readily cleaned. 

1. A hand-rest for use during manicure, wherein the hand-rest has an upper surface that is contoured in relief with a rear apron for support of the palm of the hand and with mutually-splayed recesses which each extend from the apron to a forward peripheral edge of the hand-rest and which are for individually receiving for support respective ones of the digits (fingers and thumb) of the hand when the digits are extended from the apron to the forward peripheral edge, and wherein there are more than five but fewer than nine such recesses for receiving individually the five digits of the right-hand or, selectively, the left-hand, with some of the recesses receiving individual digits of both hands.
 2. The hand-rest according to claim 1, wherein seven mutually-splayed recesses extend from the apron to the forward peripheral edge.
 3. The hand-rest according to claim 2, wherein the same recess is used to receive and support the middle finger of both hands.
 4. The hand-rest according to claim 1, wherein the apron rises through an upward curve of the upper surface into a forward region, and the mutually-splayed recesses are defined within the forward region.
 5. The hand-rest according to claim 1, wherein the recesses lead smoothly from the apron towards the peripheral edge.
 6. The hand-rest according to any one of claim 1, wherein the forward peripheral edge is contoured in accordance with the lengths and relative dispositions of the mutually-splayed recesses.
 7. The hand-rest according to claim 1, wherein the mutually-splayed recesses are bevelled at the forward peripheral edge.
 8. The hand-rest according to claim 1, wherein the hand-rest is of unitary form having a flat base.
 9. (canceled)
 10. A hand-rest for use during manicure of a user's hands entered one hand at a time on the hand-rest, wherein (a) the hand-rest comprises a body having a flat base and an upper surface spaced above the base, (b) the upper surface is contoured in relief in the body and comprises a rear apron for support of a palm of the entered one hand, and a recessed forward region that extends to a forward peripheral edge of the body, (c) the recessed forward region comprises mutually-splayed recesses for support of respective fingers and thumb of the entered one hand, each of the mutually-splayed recesses extending in the recessed forward region from the apron to the forward peripheral edge of the body, (d) the mutually-splayed recesses are contoured to receive respective ones of the fingers and thumb of the entered one hand when the fingers and thumb of the entered one hand are extended from the apron through the recessed forward region to the forward peripheral edge, and wherein (e) the mutually-splayed recesses are in number more than five but fewer than nine for receiving respectively the four fingers and thumb of whichever of the user's hands is entered on the hand-rest.
 11. The hand-rest according to claim 10, wherein the apron of the upper surface of the body is contoured to extend in an upward curved surface of the body to round out in the recessed forward region.
 12. The hand-rest according to claim 10, wherein ends of the mutually-splayed recesses at the forward peripheral edge of the body are bevelled over into the forward peripheral edge to facilitate bending of the tips of the fingers and thumb of the entered one hand down over the forward peripheral edge of the body.
 13. The hand-rest according to claim 10, wherein the mutually-splayed recesses number seven.
 14. The hand-rest according to claim 10, wherein the upper surface of the body is a smooth surface. 